


Freefall

by themechanicsnightmare (ihaventsleptyetits4amoops)



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: and he should feel bad, he deserves it, somebody calls anakin on his shit, what he did in Landing at Point Rain was a dick move
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-12-08 15:54:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11649846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihaventsleptyetits4amoops/pseuds/themechanicsnightmare
Summary: Obi-Wan finds out about the incident with Rex and the wall on Geonosis.Dammit Anakin, he raised you better than this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Next Time, Just Tell Me To Jump](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12654654) by [ShadowSpires](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowSpires/pseuds/ShadowSpires). 



There had barely been time to give a warning. Barely time to get the words out before the approaching droids overran them.

“Rex,” Obi-Wan yelled, “Jump!”

The captain obeyed his orders without hesitation. He leapt over the edge of the cliff, Obi-Wan following. The scream was an entirely understandable reaction. Obi-Wan wasn’t surprised at all, until he realised it was in his head.

Rex himself was entirely silent. Even falling towards the ground at a truly alarming speed, he wasn’t making a sound. The Force, however, was ringing with terror, the feeling pressing into Obi-Wan’s brain, a drawn-out scream that had bypassed his ears completely.

Even when he brought them to a gentle stop on the ground, the screaming continued. Rex staggered a few paces, practically ripping his bucket off as he went. He was breathing as if he’d just sprinted several miles, like every breath was an uphill struggle. Obi-Wan decided to give him a few moments to collect himself.

Above them, the base exploded, signalling an end to the battle. Reports began to flood in. Complete destruction of the facility. No remaining Separatist forces. A casualty list that was short but longer than Obi-Wan would have preferred. (A casualty list of one was longer than Obi-Wan preferred.) He gave orders for everyone to return to the Negotiator, and coordinates for someone to come and pick them up to do the same.

Then he approached Rex.

The captain’s breathing was still laboured, but better than before. The screaming had stopped, replaced by barely perceptible trembling.

“I apologise for our rather… abrupt departure, Captain,” Obi-Wan said, “I would have given you more warning if I could.”

The bark of humourless laughter came as a surprise.

“At least I got a warning at all this time,” Rex replied. “Didn’t just fling me off. Thanks for the catch.”

Thanks for the catch? What had Rex thought was going to happen? What did he mean “this time”? Fling him?

“Rex?” Obi-Wan said, resting a hand gently on his shoulder. The contact only increased the lingering feeling of terror. Any further questioning was cut off when Obi-Wan felt what, precisely, had caused such a feeling.

_Geonosis._

_The Force throwing him into the air without warning._

_A several hundred foot fall, screaming the whole way down._

_The names of brothers flashing through his mind, brothers who’d died exactly the same way as he was about to, their bodies splintering against the ground when they fell._

_A sudden stop, inches from certain death. Then a none-too-gentle drop onto the ground._

_“Next time just tell me to jump.”_

_Give him some indication he was going to be caught. That he wasn’t just going to crash into the ground like so many others before him._

_“Now where’s the fun in that?”_

 A shuttle landing nearby saved Obi-Wan from having to say anything in the face of Anakin’s stupidity. Unsurprisingly, it was Cody who climbed off it.

“Think you want this back, General,” he said, offering Obi-Wan his lightsaber.

 “Yes, thank you Cody.” Obi-Wan clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt. “If you could look after Rex, I need to find Anakin. I have several questions for him.”


	2. Chapter 2

The shuttle landed and they disembarked. During the journey, Rex had stopped shaking and was now staring blankly at the hangar around him. It worried Obi-Wan more than he wanted to admit. 

"I'll take care of him, sir," Cody promised, as if he could sense his General's concern. He tugged gently at Rex's arm. "Come on, vod'ika, let's get you cleaned up." 

Leaving Rex in Cody’s capable hands, Obi-Wan stalked through the corridors of the Negotiator. His murderous expression sent 212th and 501st alike tripping over themselves and each other to get out of his way. He was passing by his office (or, as he'd heard some of the men call it, "broom closet with delusions of grandeur"), when he spotted his quarry. 

As luck would have it, Ahsoka was with him. Perfect.  

“ANAKIN SKYWALKER!” 

Anakin froze, then turned to face him. 

“What were you thinking!? Were you even thinking!?” 

His former Padawan blinked stupidly for a second, clearly taken aback by this greeting. “I think you’re going to have to be a little more specific, Master.” 

“Step into my office. Unless you’d rather have this conversation where everyone can hear it? You too, Ahsoka." 

 

The pair shared a confused look, but followed. Clearly, they didn't know what the problem was. It was no matter, they would soon enough. Obi-Wan tried to school his face into a neutral expression. He failed. 

He waited until they were all seated before speaking again. 

"I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me," he said.  

Anakin paled at the tone of forced calm. Obi-Wan felt strangely gratified by the response. 

"Of course, Master," Ahsoka said, voice coloured by lingering confusion. Anakin said nothing. 

"Excellent," Obi-Wan replied. "Perhaps we can start with what you remember of Geonosis?" 

"Geonosis, Master?" 

"Indeed. Point Rain, in particular." He gave them a few moments to think about it. "If I remember correctly, there was a rather large wall..." 

Comprehension dawned on Ahsoka's face at the same time as Anakin lost what little patience he possessed. 

"Will you get to the point?" he snapped. 

"Very well," Obi-Wan replied. "Did you or did you not  _launch your Captain from the wall using the Force_?" 

"Well, yes, but -"  

"- Then I ask again, and this time I expect an answer, what  _the hell_  were you thinking?" 

"It's not like I had time for a better plan!" 

"And after? Telling him that if you'd warned him  _it wouldn't be fun_?" 

They were both on their feet now, and loud enough that Obi-Wan was almost surprised no one had come to check on them. Ahsoka had shuffled away from them both, the Force around her drenched in guilt. 

"Rex knows how to take a joke!" 

"So his life is a joke to you?" 

"That is  _not_  what I said!" Anakin protested, face reddening in anger. 

"That's what it sounded like!" Obi-Wan took a deep breath, trying to calm his temper. "How many brothers do you think Rex has lost in the same circumstances? Seen fall to their deaths? He thought he was going to be next, and you write it off as a joke?" 

That shut Anakin up. Beside him, Ahsoka gave a choked half-sob. 

"He knew I was going to catch him," Anakin said, but he didn't sound sure about it. 

"Did he?" 

Neither of the other Jedi responded to that. 

Anakin frowned. "Why are you bringing it up now, anyway? Geonosis was months ago." 

"Indeed it was. And yet, when confronted with a similar situation today, Rex had... some difficulties." 

 "Difficulties?" Ahsoka asked, "Is he okay?" 

"Cody assures me he will be well looked after. But the fact remains that the Captain, your friend, Anakin, don't deny it, has been caused serious and  _completely avoidable_  distress as a result of your actions." 

Ahsoka developed a sudden interest in her knees. 

"Is this where you say you're not mad, just disappointed?" Anakin asked. 

Obi-Wan stared at him for several long moments, not entirely sure if he was kidding or not. 

"No. I  _am_ mad. I'm just also disappointed. I know I raised you better than this, Anakin." 

At that, Anakin had the decency to look at least a little shamefaced. 

"And you, young one," Obi-Wan said to Ahsoka, "Should take this opportunity to learn that your actions have consequences. What you think is a joke can seriously hurt someone else. I trust that next time you will consider the consequences before something like this happens." 

Ahsoka nodded, radiating shame. "Yes, Master Kenobi." 

Obi-Wan sighed, suddenly exhausted. "You're both grounded until further notice. I'm sure there's enough paperwork to keep you occupied in the interim." He paused. "And an apology to Rex wouldn't go amiss." 

The pair nodded and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit this took so long I'm so sorry  
> Pro tip: don't start university, just don't do it


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan found Rex and Cody in the third place he looked. They were both on Cody's bunk, Cody sitting up against the wall with Rex curled up beside him. Cody was typing one-handed on his datapad, other hand occupied with stroking through Rex's hair. The remains of a meal rested on the table beside them.

"Did General Skywalker manage to answer your questions, sir?" Cody asked quietly.

Obi-Wan's grumbled, "Not adequately," raised a chuckle from the commander.

"Typical General Skywalker, then?"

Cody dutifully pretended that Obi-Wan's lips didn’t twitch at that. 

"Indeed." He sighed. "How is Rex?"

It was a moment before Cody spoke. "He's been through worse, sir," he said, looking down at Rex as he slept almost-peacefully, using Cody's thigh as a pillow. "He'll be alright."

Obi-Wan hummed his agreement, but the fact remained that, although he  _had_  been through worse, Rex should never have had to go through  _this_. The whole incident had been completely avoidable, but for Anakin's incredible lack of consideration, or forethought, or – he cut that train of thought off before it could make him angry again.

"Got him into the shower, but he threw up when I tried to put food in him," Cody said, "Dropped off about an hour ago."

"Well, he has had a trying day."

Rex shifted restlessly in his sleep, frowning, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. He mumbled something, clearly distressed. Cody broke off from his response in favour of trying to soothe him.

Later, Obi-Wan would pretend he had witnessed nothing and didn't speak Mando'a. Now though, he watched Cody settle Rex back down, murmuring soothing nonsense to him. Once Rex was once again sleeping soundly, now curled even closer to Cody than before, Cody turned back to Obi-Wan.

"I take it General Skywalker has been made aware of his error?"

"I sincerely hope he's aware of it," Obi-Wan replied, more irritably than he intended.  _Or I have failed more than I thought,_  he barely managed to prevent himself from adding. "Ahsoka certainly has."

"Good."

Companionable silence reigned for a few minutes, before Cody broke it.

"I've almost finished the after action, and then I'm turning in," he said. "You should too, sir." His tone suggested that it was anything but a suggestion.

Slightly bemused to be taking not-quite-orders from his commander, but well used to it, Obi-Wan nodded and turned to leave.

"I believe I shall, Commander. Sleep well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. It's done. Thanks to everyone who waited such a long-ass time for me to write three goddamn chapters. You guys are great

**Author's Note:**

> A note about chapter one: I discovered that it was very similar to a story already posted on tumblr, by another author. It was a) an honest accident, and b) entirely my fault. I have contacted the author and apologised.  
> I encourage you all to read it and give them the credit they deserve, because all their works are fantastic.
> 
> I am incredibly sorry.


End file.
